Particulate compositions

Abstract

The present invention is a method for forming a composition in solid particulate form from a mixture of constituents, at least one of which is a liquid, the method comprising forming said composition from a mixture of constituents comprising a lipophilic liquid, a hydrophilic solid dispersant, and a solid particulating agent.

1 . A method for forming a composition in solid particulate form from a mixture of constituents, at least one of which is a liquid, comprising forming said composition from a mixture of constituents comprising a lipophilic liquid, a hydrophilic solid dispersant, and a solid particulating agent.  
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said composition is formed by adding said particulating agent to a mixture of said liquid and solid dispersant.  
   
   
       3 . A method of  claim 1  or  2  wherein said liquid includes a bioactive material.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 ,  2  or  3  wherein said agent is silicon dioxide.  
   
   
       5 . A method of any one of  claims 1  to  4 , wherein the lipophilic liquid is lycopene, the hydrophilic solid dispersant is mannitol, and the particulating agent is silica.  
   
   
       6 . A method of  claim 5 , wherein the lipophilic liquid and solid dispersant are combined in a weight ratio of about 1:1 and wherein the particulating agent is combined with the mixture of lipophilic agent and solid hydrophilic dispersant in a weight ratio of particulating agent to said mixture of about 1:4.  
   
   
       7 . A tablet produced by pressing, at a pressure which provides a cohesive tablet, an aliquot of a powder comprising an admixture of a fast-melting tablet base and a powder produced by the method according to  claim 6 .  
   
   
       8 . Solid particulates formed from constituents at least one of which is in the form of a liquid and comprising a lipophilic liquid, a hydrophilic solid dispersant, and a particulating agent and in which the liquid is distributed homogeneously throughout the particulates and does not exude therefrom.  
   
   
       9 . Solid particulates of  claim 8  including a bioactive lipophilic liquid.  
   
   
       10 . Solid particulates of  claim 8  or  9  where the lipophilic liquid is dispersible from the composition upon contact with an aqueous medium within five minutes.  
   
   
       11 . Solid particulates of  claim 8 ,  9  or  10  in the form of a powder.  
   
   
       12 . A powder of  claim 11  having a flowability of between about 280 and about 45°.  
   
   
       13 . A tablet comprising compressed particulates of any one of  claims 8  to  12 .  
   
   
       14 . A tablet according to  claim 13  having a friability of no greater than about 1%.  
   
   
       15 . A tablet having a friability of no greater than about 1% and comprising a bioactive lipophilic liquid, a hydrophilic solid dispersant, and a solid particulating agent, wherein said liquid is dispersed uniformly throughout said tablet and is dispersible from said tablet upon contact with an aqueous medium within one minute.  
   
   
       16 . A tablet of  claim 15  wherein the particulating agent is an ingestible oxide.  
   
   
       17 . A tablet of  claim 16  wherein said oxide is silicon dioxide.  
   
   
       18 . A tablet of  claim 15 ,  16  or  17  in the form of a fast-melt formulation.  
   
   
       19 . A tablet of  claim 15 ,  16  or  17  in the form of a chewable formulation.  
   
   
       20 . A tablet of any one of  claims 15  to  19  wherein said liquid comprises an oil.  
   
   
       21 . A tablet of  claim 20  wherein the oil is an essential oil.  
   
   
       22 . A tablet of any one of  claims 10  to  16  where the dispersant is selected from the group consisting of a sugar, a polyhydroxy alcohol, and a polysaccharide.